Egg carton and tray dispensing machine



' A. E. COMSTOCK EGG CARTON AND TRAY DISPENSING MACHINE l0 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 18, 1969 Filed Nov. 6, 1967 III INVENTOR.

Alfred E. Comsrock BY 7 g I X) I.

m a W Attorneys Nov. 18, 1969 A. E. COMSTOCK 3,478,924

EGG CARTON AND TRAY DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Nov. 6, 1967 10 Sheet-heet 2 ,Ilflllflm INVENTOR- BY Alfred E. Comsrock m, W WW; am y W Attorneys Nov. 18, 1969 A. E. COMSTOCK EGG CARTON AND TRAY DISPENSING MACHINE l0 Sheets-Sheet E .r h l lllrlbllRI-bllkllfllhUJvllrl f Filed NOV. 0, 1967 INVENTOR.

BY Alfred E. Comsrock 1M, WfZ/M, my

Attorneys Nov; 18, 1969 A. E. COMSTOCK EGG CARTON AND TRAY DISPENSING MACHINE 10 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 6, 1967 INVENTOR. Alfred E. Comsrock BY 1%, 44, 0

Attorneys 1969 A. E. COMSTOCK EGG CARTON AND TRAY DISPENSING MACHINE l0 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 6. 1967 INVENTOR.

I Alfred E. Comsrock 71% 14 9%! 44% y 140% Attorneys 1969 A. E. COMSTOCK EGG CARTON AND TRAY DISPENSING MACHINE l0 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Nov. 6, 1967 INVENTOR.

Alfred E. Comstock BY Z4194, W

mum y 714/4012:

Attorneys Nov; 18. 1969 3,478,924

A. E. COMSTOCK EGG CARTON AND TRAY DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Nov. 6, 1967 10 Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENTOR.

Alfred E. Comstock BY 1%, wm zdt,

mm? M13 Attorneys Nov. 18, 1969 A. E. COMSTOCK 3,478,924

EGG CARTON AND TRAY DISPENSING MACHINE Filed ROY. 6, 1967 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 10: -//z:# m m 244 22? 227 {Mm/77 i I =2 .248

2/7 221 INVENTOR.

Alfred E. Comsrock BY %M, M064 M a W Attorneys V NOV. 18, 1969 A CQMSTQCK 3,478,924

EGG CARTON AND TRAY DISPENSING MACHINE.

' Filed NOV. 6, 1967 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 I3 41 ,6, 37 INVENTOR.

Alfred E. Comsrock 4% wig/40:1

Attorneys Nov. 18, 1969 A. E. COMSTOCK EGG CARTON AND TRAY DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Nov. 6; 1967 10 Sheets-Sheet 1@ I.\'\'E.\TOR.

Alfred E. Comstock BY 74%, 2% 04 W/ x W Attorneys United States Patent 3,478,924 EGG CARTON AND TRAY DISPENSING MACHINE Alfred E. Cornstock, Frontenac, Minn. 55026 Filed Nov. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 680,817 Int. Cl. B65l1 3/26 US. Cl. 221213 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Egg carton and dispensing machine having means which denests the trays or cartons, one by one, from a stack of such trays or cartons in the dispensing machine and which delivers them in a straight line or rotates them through 90 degrees.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to carton or tray denesters and particularly to the type which are adapted for feeding cartons or trays into egg grading machines.

Although denesters have previously been available for feeding egg cartons or trays to egg grading machines, all of such denesters have had serious limitations. For example, certain of the denesters could only work with certain types of trays and cartons. Others could not be readily modified at the customers plant to deliver the cartons in a straight line or to rotate them through 90 degrees after they had been denested.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a dispensing machine for cartons or trays of the type having posts inside the outer perimeter of the carton or tray. A magazine is provided for receiving a plurality of nested cartons or trays. The machine includes a pickup head and means for moving the pickup head between a pickup position which can pick up cartons or trays from the magazine and a discharge position away from the magazine at which it can discharge the cartons or trays. The pickup head has post-grasping means for grasping the posts of the cartons or trays and means operable with the means for moving the pickup head for moving the postgrasping means between the post-grasping position in which the posts are grasped when the pickup head is moved to the pickup position and a post-releasing position when the pickup head is moved to the discharge positron.

In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing machine in which the posts of the cartons or trays are grasped to permit denesting of the cartons or trays without damaging the edges of the cartons or trays.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing machine in which independent gripping action is provided for each of the posts to provide a uniform distribution of the gripping forces on all of the posts to prevent damage to any one of the posts of the carton or tray.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing machine of the above character in which the cartons or trays can be delivered in a position which is in line with the position in which the cartons or trays are in the magazine or in a position in which they are rotated through at least 90 degrees.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing machine of the above character which can be utilized with different types of cartons or trays with very minor modifications.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing machine of the above character which is relatively low in cost.

3,478,924 Patented Nov. 18, 1969 ice FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of an egg carton and tray dispensing machine incorporating the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational View in cross-section of the machine shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1 on the side opposite that shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is an exploded view with carton parts broken away of the cam assemblies utilized in the machine.

FIGURES 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D are side elevational views in cross-section of the top stop, bottom stop, top separator and bottom separator cam assemblies, respectively.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 9 is a view taken along the line 99 of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a view looking along the line 1010 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 1111 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 1212 of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 1313 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 14 is an exploded view of a portion of the drive mechanism shown in FIGURE 13.

FIGURE 15 is a view showing the manner in which a center-fold carton is grasped during the denesting operation.

FIGURE 16 is a view looking along the line 16-16 of FIGURE 15 showing the construction of the centerfold carton.

FIGURE 17 is a view showing the manner in which the stack of center-fold cartons is carried in the machine ready to be denested.

FIGURE 18 is a view similar to FIGURE 15 showing the manner in which the gripper mechanism grasps another type of carton.

FIGURE 19 is a detail view of the carton shown in FIGURE 18 with the cover in an open position.

FIGURE 20 is a detailed view similar to FIGURES 15 and 18 showing the manner in which a tray is grasped.

FIGURE 21 is a detailed view of the type of tray shown in FIGURE 20.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The egg carton and tray dispensing machine consists of a pair of spaced parallel side frame members 31 and 32 which are fastened together to form a rigid framework by a plurality of tie bars 33 which extend between the side frame members 31 and 32 and are secured thereto by screws 34.

Means is provided for forming a magazine 36 between the side frame members 31 and 32 and consists of a downwardly inclined chute-like member 37 which is substantially U-shaped in cross-section as can be seen from FIG- URE 4. This chute-like member 37 is secured to the side frame members 31 and 32 by suitable means such as rivets (not shown). As can be seen particularly from FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, the chute-like member 37 is inclined forwardly in a downward direction toward the right as viewed in the FIGURES 1 and 2. I

Means is provided for positively advancing the cartons or trays 38 within the magazine 36 and consists of an endless belt 39 formed of a suitable material such as Neoprene. The upper run of the belt 39 travels on the bottom wall of the chute-like member 37 and has its upper surface underlying and frictionally engaging the lower edges of the cartons or trays in the magazine. The lower run of the belt 39 travels beneath the chute-like member 37.

A drive mechanism 41 is Provided for operating the dispensing machine and consists of an electric motor 42 which is mounted upon a speed reducer 43. The speed reducer 43 is secured to a pair of the tie bars 33 by screws 44 (see FIGURE 2). The speed reducer 43 is provided with an extended output shaft 46 which extends through the side frame member 32 and drives a single revolution clutch 47 with anti-overtravel means. This clutch is a conventional type and is manufactured by Curtis-Wright. As is well known to those skilled in the art, such a clutch includes a driven member 48 which is provided with a notch 49 so that the driven member 48 can be engaged by a stop lever 51 (see FIGURE 3). The stop lever 51 is pivotally mounted by a pin 52 upon the side frame member 32. A spring 53 having one end connected to a pin 54 on the frame member 32 and having the other end connected to a pin 56 on the stop lever 51 yieldably urges the inner extremity of the stop lever 51 in an upward direction towards the driven member 48 so that the stop lever 51 will be urged into the notch 49 to stop the driven member 48 from rotation through more than one revolution.

As can be seen from FIGURE 3, the stop lever 51 7 projects to the rear of the frame member 32 so that it can be operated by hand to permit the stop lever to be moved out of engagement with the driven member 48 against the force of the spring 53. Additional means is provided for automatically operating the stop lever 51 and moving it out of engagement with the driven member 48 and consists of a solenoid 57 mounted upon the frame member 32 and having its plunger 58 pivotally connected by a pin 59 to the stop lever. It can be seen that when the solenoid 57 is energized, the plunger 59 will be retracted to move the stop lever 51 down against the force of the spring 53 and away from the driven member 48 to permit the same to rotate. The solenoid 57 is adapted to be energized by a pulse from any suitable source as, for example, from an egg grading machine with which the machine is to be operated.

A sprocket 61 (FIGURE 4) is mounted on the clutch 47 and is driven by the clutch 47. The sprocket 61 drives a chain 62 (see FIGURE 3). The chain 62 drives a sprocket 63 which is mounted upon a main cam shaft 64. The main cam shaft 64 is rotatably mounted in bearings 66 carried by the side frame members 31 and 32. A combination speed reducer and pulley 67 is mounted on the main cam shaft 64 between the side frame members 31 and 32 and is utilized for driving the belt 39. As can be seen from FIGURE 2, the belt travels upwardly and to the rear over a roller 68 rotatably mounted on shaft 69 which is pivotally mounted in the side frame members 31 and 32. The belt 39 then travels rearwardly and upwardly over a roller 71 carried by a shaft 72 that is slidably mounted in slots 73 provided in brackets 74 secured to the bottom side of the chute-like member 37. Conventional means (not shown) is provided for adjusting the shaft 72 longitudinally within the slots 73 for tightening the belt 39. The belt 39 then travels over the bottom wall of the chute-like member 37 over a roller 76 mounted on a shaft 77 mounted between the side frame members 31 and 32.

The speed reducer portion of the speed reducer assembly and pulley 67 is provided so that the pulley advances $4 of a revolution for each revolution of the main cam shaft 64 for a purpose herinafter described. As shown in FIGURE 5, the speed reducer assembly and pulley 67 c n s s of a spi er 81 wh h s secured o h s af 64 by set screws 82. The spider 81 is provided with two pins 83 which are afiixed thereto and which extend in a direction which is parallel to the shaft 64 and are spaced equidistant radially of the shaft 64. A pair of identical gears 84 and 85 are mounted on a common bushing 86 provided on the top pin 83 as viewed in FIGURE 5. Both the gears 84 and 85 are 16-teeth gears and idle on the pin 83. Two additional gears 97 and 88 also each having 16 teeth are mounted on the lower spider pin 83 by bushing 89 so that they are one-half tooth out of phase with the top gears '84 and 85. The gears 84 and 85 and the gears 87 and 88 mesh with two gears 91 and 92 which are provided with 20 and 21 teeth, respectively. The 21-tooth gear 92 is aflixed directly to an inner sleeve 93 affixed to the pulley 94. The 20-tooth gear 91 is aifixed to a tube 96 coaxial with the shaft 64 and extending axially of the pulley 94 and out of one end of the pulley as shown in FIGURE 5. The tube 96 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 64. A collar 97 is mounted on the outer extremity of the tube 96. A. rod 98 is threaded into the collar 97 and is mounted upon a post 99 mounted upon one of the tie bars 33 to prevent the collar 97 from rotating.

From the foregoing construction of the speed reducer assembly and pulley 67, it can be seen that as the shaft 64 is rotated, the spider 81 is rotated and the idling gears 84 and 85 and 87 and 88 travel around the driver and driven gears, namely, the 20-tooth and 21-tooth gears 91 and 92, respectively, which advance the gear 92 one tooth for every revolution of the shaft 64. Thus, the pulley 94 is rotated only once for every 21 revolutions of the shaft 64.

A carton or tray stop assembly 101 and a carton or tray separator assembly 102 are provided on the front end of the magazine 36. The carton or tray stop assembly consists of a top stop plate 103 which is mounted on a top stop plate casting 104 by suitable means such as screws 105. The top stop plate depends vertically from the casting 104. The casting 104 is provided with a pair of spaced bosses 106 and 107. The boss 106 is keyed to a bushing 108'by key 109. A lever arm 111 is keyed to the bushing 108 by a key 112. The lever arm 111 is connected to one end of rod 113 by a ball and socket connection 114. The other end of the rod 113 is connected by a ball and socket connection 116 to a lever arm 117. The lever arm 117 is keyed to a bushing 118 by a key 119. The key 119 also serves to connect the bushing 118 to a lever arm 120. The lever arm 120 carries a rotatably mounted cam follower 121 on the outer end thereof which is adapted to engage a earn 112 afiixed to the main cam shaft 64. Because of its function, the cam 122 can be entitled the top stop place cam. A spring 123 has one end secured to the ball and socket connection 116 and has the other end secured to a pin 124 mounted on the side frame member 31 and yieldably urges the cam follower 121 into engagement with the cam 122. The bushing 108 carries a top pivot shaft 126, whereas the bushing 118 carries a bottom pivot shaft 127. The busbing 108 is supported by a pivot arm 128 which is afiixet to the shaft 69 by set screw 132.

The boss 107 is provided with a bushing 129 similar to the bushing 108 except that it is not provided with a keyway which carries the shaft 126. The bushing 129 is supported by a pivot arm 131 afiixed to the shaft 69 by set screw 133.

The carton or tray stop assembly 101 also includes a bottom stop plate 134 which is mounted in recesses 136 provided in the ends of a pair of arms 137. The plate 134 is provided with a centrally disposed upwardly extending portion 134a. The arms 137 are pivotally mounted upon a shaft 138. A cam follower 139 is mounted upon a member 141 secured to one of the arms 137. The cam follower 139 engages a cam 142 mounted upon the shaft 64 and which can be identified as the bottom stop cam.

The carton or tray separator assembly 102 consists of a top separator plate 146. The top separator plate 146 is mounted on a casting 147 by screws 145. The top separator plate is provided with a plurality of spaced downwardly depending portions 146a. The casting 147 is secured to the shaft 126 by suitable means such as, for example, screws 148 threaded into the casting 147 and engaging fiats 149 provided on the shaft 126. An arm 151 is afiixed to the shaft 126 and is connected by a ball and socket connection 152 to a rod 153. The other end of the rod 153 is connected by a ball and socket connection 154 to an arm 156. The arm 156 is affixed to one end of the shaft 127. A lever arm 157 is also affixed to the shaft 127 and is provided with a cam follower 158 on the end thereof which engages a cam 159 mounted on the shaft 64. Thus, the cam 159 can be identified as the top separator cam. A spring 155 has one end connected to the ball and socket connection 154 and has the other end connected to a pin 160 mounted on the side frame members 32 and yieldably urges the cam follower 158 into engagement with the cam 160.

The carton or tray separator assembly 102 also includes a bottom separator plate 161 which is mounted on a casting 162 by screws 160. The bottom separator plate is provided with a plurality of spaced upwardly extending portions 161a. The casting 162 is pivotally mounted upon the shaft 138. The casting 162 is provided with a recess 163 to accommodate the roller 68. A cam follower 164 is rotatably mounted upon an arm 166 affixed to the casting 162. The cam follower engages a cam 167 mounted upon the shaft 64. Thus, the cam 164 can be identified as the bottom separator cam.

A large cam wheel 165 is mounted on the outer extremity of the shaft 64 and is provided with an inner cam surface 168 which is adapted to be engaged by cam follower 169 rotatably mounted upon an arm 171 affixed to the shaft 69. A pair of springs 173 are connected to the arms 128 and 131 and to the pins 124 and 160 and yieldably urge the top stop plate 103 against the front surface of the rim of the front carton in the magazine 36. This cam wheel 165, as hereinafter explained, is utilized for positioning the top stop plate 103 and the top separator plate 146 so that they always are in the proper position.

A pickup head assembly 176 is provided which is movable between a pickup position in which it can pick up cartons or trays from the magazine 36 and a discharge position away from the magazine. The pickup head assembly consists of a large pickup head casting or member 177. A large vertical pivot shaft 178 is rotatably mounted in the casting 177. A gripper assembly 179 is mounted upon the pivot shaft 178 and consists of a gripper mounting plate 181 which is secured to the pivot shaft 178 by a pair of dowel pins 182 and screws 183. (See FIGURE 11). A bevel turning gear 184 is also mounted on the lower extremity of the pivot shaft 178 between the pivot shaft 178 and the plate 181 and is secured to the shaft by the dowel pins 182 an the screws 183. The turning gear 184 is adapted to be engaged by a bevel gear 186 splined on a horizontal pivot shaft 187. The horizontal pivot shaft 187 is pivotally mounted in the large casting 177. The shaft 187 is afiixed to one corner of a threecornered, substantially triangularly shaped member or casting 188. Another corner of the casting 188 is afiixed to a shaft 189 that is rotatably mounted in a bearing 191 mounted on the side frame member 32 by bolts 192 (see FIGURE 2).

Means is provided for raising and lowering the outer extremity of the member 188 carrying the horizontal pivot shaft 187 about the pivot shaft 189 and consists of a crank arm 193 which is affixed to the shaft 64 and rotates therewith. A ball and socket connection 194 connects one end of a rod 196 to the crank arm. The other end of the rod 196 is connected by a ball and socket connection 197 to the other corner of the member 188. It can be seen from FIGURE 3 that as the shaft 64 is rotated, the crank arm 193 causes movement of the casting or member 188 between a position represented by the solid line and the broken lines showings of member 188 in FIGURE 3. The

side frame member 32 is provided with a cut-out 199 to accommodate this movement.

As hereinbefore explained, the bevel gear 186 is adapted to engage the turning gear 184. The bevel gear 186 is adapted to be positioned on the shaft 187 in one of two positions. In one position, it is out of engagement with the bevel gear 184, and in the other position it is in engagement with the bevel gear 184. The bevel gear 186 is held in the desired position by means of a set screw 201.

Additional means is provided to ensure that the bevel gear 186 remains in engagement with the turning gear 184 and consists of a pair of split brass bushings 202 (see FIG- URE 14). The bushings are provided with extensions 202a which are adapted to fit into recesses 203 provided in the member 177 and retained therein by screws 204. The out ermost limit of the gear 186 on the shaft 187 is determined by a snap ring 205 mounted on the shaft 187.

As hereinafter explained, for straight out or in line delivery, the mounting plate 181 of the gripper assembly is normally secured to the casting 177 by a pair of cap screws 206 (see FIGURE 9). When it is desired to rotate the carton or tray through degrees or more, these cap screws must be removed and the bevel gear 186 engaged with the bevel gear 184 by use of the bushings 202 in the manner shown in FIGURES 13 and 14.

Means is provided for pivoting the pickup head casting 177 about the pivot formed by the horizontal pivot shaft 187 and consists of a cam follower 206 rotatably mounted upon a shaft 207 carried by a bearing 208 mounted upon the side frame member 32 by bolts 209. The cam follower 206 is adapted to travel in a cam slot or track 211 provided in the large casting or member 177 at a right angle to the shaft 181. As hereinafter explained, the pivot head roller 206 travels in the cam track to cause pivoting of the casting 177.

The gripper assembly 179 also includes a pair of end bearing blocks 213 secured to the ends of the gripper mounting plate 181 by cap screws 214. A pair of spaced parallel gripper shafts 216 and 217 are rotatably mounted in the end bearing blocks 213 by bushings 218 carried by the bearing blocks. Means is provided for interconnecting the gripper shafts 216 and 217 so that they rotate or move in unison and consist of a pair of spur gears 219 mounted on the shafts (see FIGURE 11). Each of the gears 219 is provided with a fiat 221 (see FIGURE 11). A lever arm 222 is mounted in each of the flats and is secured to the gear by screws 223. A pin 224 is carried by each of the lever arms. The pins are interconnected by a spring 226 (see FIGURE 8) which serves to pull the lower extremities of the lever arm 222 towards each other to thereby yieldably retain the same in innermost positions.

The gripper assembly 179 also includes a plurality of gripper members 228 which are mounted on sleeves 229 mounted upon a pair of gripper shafts 216 by suitable means such as Allen head screws 231. The gripper members 228 form an included angle of approximately 60 de grees (see FIGURE 8) and have teeth-like portions 228a arranged generally in a semi-circle to facilitate grasping of the posts of the cartons or trays (see FIGURE 13). Each of the sleeves 229 is provided with a recess 232 which extends through a suitable angle such as 180 degrees which cooperates with a recess 233 provided in the collar 234 which extends through degrees. The collars 234 are secured to the gripper shafts 216 by set screws 236.

Means is provided for yieldably urging the gripper members 228 in an inward direction independently of each other and consists of a plurality of torsion springs 237 mounted on the shafts 216. One end of each of the torsion springs engages one of the holes (not shown) of the plurality of holes in the collar 236, whereas the other end of the spring is disposed in a hole (not shown) in the sleeve 229. It can be seen that compressive forces can be placed on the grippers 228 merely either by adjusting the collars 236 or by adjusting the hole in which the torsion 7 spring 237 is located in the collar 234. The form of the recesses 232 and 233 determines the movement which is permitted by the gripper members 228. Thus, when the angles are 135 degrees and 180 degrees only 45 degrees of movement is permitted by the gripper members.

A sheet metal centering trough which is substantially U-shaped and faces downwardly is provided for centering the posts of the cartons or trays before they are gripped by the gripping assembly as hereinafter described. The centering trough 241 is secured to the bearing blocks 213 by screws 242.

The gripper assembly is normally held in an open position by a latching mechanism 246 which consists of a catch 247 mounted on one of the shafts 216 (see FIGURE 8) which is adapted to engage one end of a latch 248 pivotally mounted upon a pin 249 carried by the mounting plate 181. A spring 226a is provided for positively urging the latch 248 to assume a position in which it can be engaged by the catch 247.

Means is provided for tripping the latching mechanism 246 when the pickup head assembly 176 is moved to the pick up position and consists of a screw 251 carried by an extension 252 mounted upon side frame member 32 (see FIGURE 3). A lock nut 253 is provided for retaining the screw 251 in the desired position. When the latch 248 engages the outer end of the screw 251 the catch 247 is released to permit the gripper members to move into postgrasping positions. As can be seen from FIGURE 8, the spring 226 normally yieldably holds the gripper members 228 in closed positions whereas they are held in open positions against the force of the spring 226 by the catch 247 engaging latch 248.

Recocking means 256 is provided which is utilized for moving the gripper assembly 179 to an open position to release the posts of the cartons or trays and for recocking the latching mechanism 246. The recocking means 256 consists of a lever arm 257 pivotally mounted on a pin 258 carried by a block 259 mounted upon the mounting plate 181. One end of the lever arm 257 carries a roller 261 rotatably mounted thereon. The other end of the lever arm 257 is pivotally connected to a link 262 by a pin 263. The other end of the link 262 is pivotally connected to an arm 264 by pin 266. The arm 264 is mounted on one of the gripper shafts 216 and, as viewed in FIGURE 10, is mounted on the left-hand gripper shaft 216. The arm 264 is secured to the shaft 216 by a set screw 267 (FIGURE 12). A stop 269 is fastened by screws 271 to the side frame member 32. The stop 269 is adapted to be engaged by the roller 261 carried by the lever arm 257. The positioning of the stop 269 determines when the cocking action will take place and is normally positioned so that the gripper assembly 179 is cocked and permits engagement of the catch 247 with the latch 248. Means (not shown) is provided for permitting the vertical adjustment of the stop 269. For example, such means can consist of slots provided in the member 269 to permit vertical adjustment with respect to the screws 271.

In the event the pickup head assembly 176 is rotated through 90 degrees, a separate stop member 273 (see FIGURE 2) is provided which is secured to the side frame member 32 by screws 274. The stop member 2'73 is adapted to be engaged by the roller 261 to cause recocking of the latching mechanism when the pickup head assembly 176 has been rotated through 90 degrees.

The manner in which the gripper assembly 179 grips the cartons or trays in the magazine 36 is shown in FIG- URES 15-21. Thus, in FIGURES 15, 16 and 17, there is shown a center-fold carton 281 which is described in US. Letters Patent No. 3,191,844. Such a carton is manufactured out of pulp and is provided with a bottom section 282 which has two rows of six pockets 283 disposed in rows which are parallel to each other. The bottom section is also provided with center posts 284 which extend upwardly above the main surface 286 of the bottom section and Within the outer perimeter. As can be seen, a plurality of such posts are provided. For example, where six ockets are provided on each row, five of such posts can be provided. The posts have slots 287 in alignment with each other and extending parallel to the rows and longitudinally of the bottom section. After eggs have been placed in the pockets 283, the eggs can be covered by a pair of side covers 288 hingedly secured to the bottom section 282 whereby the cover may be folded over the adjacent row of eggs and have its outermost side edge pass into the slots 287 in the posts 284 and be frictionally retained therein.

Means is provided within the magazine 36 for positioning the cartons 281 so that the center posts 284 are in alignment with the center line of the gripper assembly 179 when the gripper assembly 179 is moved into position to grasp one of the cartons as shown in FIGURE 15. Such means consists of a pair of right-angle guide mem bers 291 and 292 which are secured to the chute-like member 237 by suitable means such as screws (not shown). As can be seen from FIGURES 15 and 16, the guide members are adapted to engage the outer extremities of the covers 288 of the cartons 281. As can be seen particularly in FIGURE 15, the grippers 228 are provided with inwardly extending portions which are provided with serrated outer extremities which are adapted to engage the posts 284.

Another type of carton 296 is shown in FIGURES l8 and 19 of a conventional type. It is provided with a bottom section 297 which also has two rows of six pockets 298 each arranged so they are parallel to each other with center posts 299 extending upwardly between the rows of pockets. It is provided with a cover 301 which is hinged on one side and which is adapted to cover both rows of pockets and is adapted to be held in a closed position by a flap 302 hinged on the other side of the bottom section 297. As can be seen in FIGURE 19, the guide members 291 and 292 are shifted in their positions in the chute-like member 37 so that on one case the longer leg of a member 291 engages the side flap 302 and the shorter leg of the guide member 292 engages the cover 301 so as to position the carton 296 so that the posts 299 are again in alignment with the center line of the gripper assembly 179.

It is readily apparent that the apparatus can be utilized for different types of cartons, it merely being necessary that the cartons be provided with center posts which extend upwardly from the bottom section so that they can be grasped with the gripper assembly 179 of the type disclosed. I

As shown in FIGURES 20 and 21, the apparatus can also be used with trays 306. The trays 306 are also conventional and can be formed of a suitable material such as pulp. Such trays are conventionally provided with five rows of six pockets 307 each. The tray is also provided with raised posts 308 which extend upwardly between the pockets and are also formed in rows within the outer perimeter of the tray. Thus, there are provided six rows of posts in one direction and seven rows of posts in another direction. The guide members 291 and 292 are positioned so that their short legs are in engagement with the tray and serve to guide the tray such that the third row of posts 308 is in line with the center line of the gripper assembly 179 as shown in FIGURE 20.

The bottom stop plate 134 and the top stop plate 103 as well as the bottom separator plate 161 and the top separator plate 146 may be constructed slightly differently to accommodate the different types of cartons and trays. It is preferably desirable that each of the plates be provided with projecting portions which are adapted to engage the appropriate parts of the cartons or trays to hold and separate the same. The different construction between the various plates for the different sizes of cartons and trays is relatively minor and, therefore, will not be disclosed in detail.

Means is provided in the magazine 36 for sensing when the magazine is nearly empty and consists of a sensing member 311 (FIGURE 2) which is mounted upon a block 312 affixed to a rod 313 which is pivotally mounted in the side frame members 31 and 32. An arm 314 is mounted upon the rod 313 and is adapted to engage the microswitch 316 mounted upon the side frame member 32. The microswitch 316 is connected into the circuitry for energizing the solenoid 57 so that when the sensing member 311 swings to an upward position as shown in FIGURE 2 when there are not suflicient cartons within the magazine, the microswitch 316 will be operated to move to an open position to prevent further energization of the solenoid 57.

A pair of cover plates 318 are mounted on the side frame members 31 and 32 and serve to cover many of the moving parts of the apparatus and, therefore, serve as a safety device in addition to adding to the appearance of the machine.

Operation of the egg carton and tray dispensing machine may now be briefly described as follows. Let it be assumed that it is desired to deliver cartons such as cartons 281 to an egg grading and filling machine such as that described in U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,224,610 which is provided with means for supplying a pulse each time a carton is required by the machine. Let it be assumed that a sufficient number of cartons 281 have been placed in the magazine 36 with the posts extending forwardly so that the sensing lever 311 is depressed and so that the first carton in the stack in the magazine is in engagement with the stop plates 134 and 146.

During operation of the apparatus, the motor 42 is running continuously and is driving the clutch 47 through the speed reducer 43. When the solenoid 57 receives a pulse from the egg grading machine, the stop lever 51 is pulled downwardly to release the driven member 48 which travels through one complete revolution until the stop lever 51 seats in the notch 49. As the driven member 48 is rotated, the chain 62 is driven to cause rotation of the sprocket 63. Rotation of the sprocket 63 causes movement of the crank arm 193 which causes the rod 196 to be pulled to the left as viewed in FIGURE 3 to cause the casting 188 to be moved about the pivot point 189. Movement of the casting 188 about the pivot 189 causes the horizontal pivot shaft 187 of the pickup head assembly 176 to :be raised within the cut-out 199 provided in the side frame member 32 to cause it to travel in the arcuate path shown by the arrow 321 in FIGURE 3. As the pickup head assembly is raised, the pivot head roller 206 travels downwardly in the cam track or slot 211 provided in the casting or member 177 so that the casting 177 is pivoted or rotated on the horizontal pivot shaft 187. When straight line delivery is desired, the bevel gear 186 is out of engagement with the turning gear 184 and the gripper assembly 179 is not rotated upon pivotal movement of the casting 177. Travel of the pivot head roller 206 within the cam track or slot 211, however, does cause the pickup head assembly 176 with gripper assembly 179 to be shifted from a horizontal discharge position into a carton pickup position in which it is inclined slightly beyond the vertical as viewed in FIGURE 2. This movement of the gripper assembly 179 is such that the center line of the gripper assembly and the centering trough 241 are in alignment with the posts 284 of the leading carton 281 and so that the grippers 228 are substantially parallel to the exposed surface of the carton 281.

At the time that the horizontal pivot shaft 187 reaches its uppermost position shown in FIGURE 3, the latch 248 engages the screw 251 which causes it to trip the catch 247. Tripping of the catch 247 permits the spring 226 to yieldably bring the grippers 228 into engagement with the posts 284 of the carton 281 as shown in FIGURE 15. The gripper shafts 216 move in unison because they are interconnected by the spur gears 219. A pair of grippers 228 are provided for each of the posts and engage opposite sides of the posts, As can be seen, the grippers 228 can operate independently of each other because they are separately spring-loaded by torsion springs 237 so that each pair of grippers firmly grasps each of the posts provided in the open carton. This serves to uniformly distribute the loading on the posts 284 so that the posts are not torn or damaged.

During the time that the pickup head assembly 176 is being moved into engagement with the open carton, the main cam shaft 64 is also being driven through one revolution to cause movement of the cams 122, 142, 159, 167 and carried thereby. Because of this movement of these earns, the bottom stop plate 134 and the top stop plate 103 are moved downwardly and upwardly respectively to clear the carton, while at the same time the bottom separator plate 161 and the top separator plate 146 are moved upwardly and downwardly respectively in between the leading carton and the next succeeding carton as shown particularly in FIGURE 2. At this same time, the cam wheel 165 causes the top stop plate 103 and the top separator plate 146 carried by the shaft 126 to assume a predetermined longitudinal position with respect to the magazine 36 so that the leading carton is in a predetermined position at the time the pickup head assembly 176 reaches the pick-up position. This ensures that the carton being picked up will be properly grasped.

Continued movement of the crank arm 64 causes the horozontal pivot shaft 187 to travel an accurate return path identical to that which it travelled in coming to its uppermost position. This causes the pickup bead assembly 176 to move away from the magazine and carry with it the leading carton which has been released by the stop plates 134 and 103 and the posts of which have been grasped by the gripper mechanism 228. Only one carton is removed from the stack of cartons within the magazine because the separator plates 161 and 141 prevent the next succeeding carton from following the leading carton which is being removed by the pickup head assembly.

Upon further movement of the horizontal pivot shaft, the pickup head assembly again is swung downwardly so that it moves into a discharge position in which it lies in a horizontal plane. At the time the pickup head comes into this position, the roller 261 strikes the stop 269 to operate the lever arm 257 which pulls upwardly on the arm 264 to cause counter-clockwise rotation of the gripper shafts 216 against the force of the spring 226 to move the grippers toward an open position away from the center post 284 of the carton 281 to permit the carton 281 to drop therefrom onto a conveyor or other suitable means for delivering the same to the egg grading machine. As explained previously, the stop 269 is adjusted so that the roller 261 causes the shafts 116 to be rotated sufficiently far so that the catch 247 can be engaged again by the latch 248 to recock the gripper assembly 179 to hold the grippers 228 in their normally open position.

During this latter half of the cycle, the stop plates 134 and 103 are again moved inwardly with respect to the edges of the cartons within the magazine 36 and yieldably engage the rim of the front carton. At the same time, the separator plates 161 and 103 are moved outwardly away from the side edges of the cartons to permit the cartons to be advanced into engagement with the stop plates 134 and 103 by the conveyor belt 39. As explained previously, the conveyor belt 39 is advanced by the speed reducer assembly and pulley 67 in such a manner that for each revolution of the main cam shaft 64, the speed reducer assembly and pulley 67 is advanced of a revolution. The thickness of the cartons is such that the revolution advances the belt 39 approximately A of an inch, This advancement of the belt 39 should preferably be a distance which is slightly greater than the spacing between individual cartons in the stack within the magazine. Thus, if the spacing between the cartons is approximately A1. inch, the belt, as in the present example, can

be advanced of an inch so that there is a positive delivery of cartons up against the top and bottom stop plates.

As soon as the cartons have been advanced against the stop plates, the cycle is completed and the driven member 48 is stopped by the stop lever 51. When the stop plates 103 and 134 are in engagement with the rim of the front carton, the separator plates 146 and 161 are directly behind this rim of the front carton even though the bundle may not be square. Just before separation of the front carton after the separator plates are in their separating positions, the cam wheel 165 centers the arms 128 so that the front carton is always in the same generally vertical position when it is picked up by the pickup head assembly to facilitate even gripping of the posts of the cartons.

The denesting operation is not repeated until the next stop pulse is received by the solenoid 57 after which the same sequence of operation takes place.

Now let it be assumed that instead of delivering the cartons straight out from the egg carton and tray dispensing machine, it is desired to deliver the cartons at an angle which is 90 degrees from the angle at Which they are in the magazine. When this is the case, the bevel gear 186 is moved outwardly into engagement with the turning gear 184 and is held in position by bushings 202 which are fastened in place by the screws 204. At the same time, the cap screws 206 are removed and before engagement of the gears 186 and 184, the gripper assembly 179 is rotated through 90 degrees. Upon actuation of the solenoid 57, the same sequence of operations takes place as hereinbefore described. However, when the pickup head assembly 176 moves from the horizontal discharge position into the pickup position in which the gripper assembly faces the leading carton in the magazine, the gripper assembly 179 is rotated through 90 degrees about a pivot formed by the vertical pivot shaft 178. This occurs because the gear 186 is splined to shaft 187 which is keyed to the casting 188. Since gear 186 is held stationary, pivoted movement of the casting 177 causes rotation of the turning gear 184.

After the carton has been picked up from the magazine, the gripper assembly 176 and the carton carried thereby are rotated through 90 degrees. The carton is dropped by the gripper assembly after it has been rotated through 90 degrees and after the pickup head assembly has reached the discharge position.

The mode of operation for other types of cartons and for the trays is very similar to that hereinbefore described. It is merely necessary to shift the positions of the guide members 291 and 292 within the magazine. For trays it may be necessary to slightly modify the stop and separator plates. Thus, it can be seen that the machine is very versatile in that it can handle cartons or trays of various types. It is also a type of machine which with minor modifications can deliver the cartons in a straight line, or in other words, in a line which is in line with the manner in which the trays or cartons are positioned in the magazine or can rotate the cartons through an angle of 90 degrees from the position in which they are in the magazine.

The operation of the machine is also such that the pickup head assembly is positively moved into engagement with the open carton and then is cammed downwardly to positively bring the carton to the desired position and to release the same. The construction of the gripper mechanism is such that the posts of the carton are individually gripped within the outer perimeter of the carton which ensures that the carton is firmly gripped by the gripper assembly and will be positively withdrawn from the stacks of cartons without danger of damaging the carton. Because of the individual spring loading of the grippers 228, the grip which is applied to the carton to be removed is uniformly distributed over the carton. Since the gripper assembly grips the posts of the cartons, there is no damage to the side edges of the cartons as may occur with conventional denesters. Utilizing a gripper mechanism which grasps the posts also has an advantage in that the posts of the cartons are always in good condition and generally are not damaged during shipment of the nested cartons by the manufacturer to the user. This ensures that the trays or cartons can be readily denested by the machine.

The magazine provided for the cartons or trays is only inclined slightly downwardly and the belt 39 is provided for positively advancing the cartons. For this reason, very little weight of the cartons is against the stop plates or the separator plates at any time which facilities separating the cartons one from another and also minimizes any damage to the ends of the cartons at the time they are being separated.

The machine also has an advantage in that it is relatively simple and can be manufactured at relatively low cost.

I claim:

1. 'In a dispensing machine for cartons or trays of the type having posts inside the outer perimeter of the carton or tray, a magazine for receiving a plurality of nested cartons or trays, said magazine being positioned so that the cartons or trays are disposed in generally vertical planes with their posts extending in a forward direction, a pickup head, means for moving said pickup head between a pickup position in Which it is in a generally vertical position for picking up cartons or trays from the magazine and a discharge position away from the magazine in which it is in a generally horizontal position above the carton or tray to be discharged, said pickup head having post-gripping means for gripping the posts of said cartons or trays and means operable with said means for moving said pickup head for moving said postgripping means between a post-gripping position in which the posts are gripped when the pickup head is moved to the pickup position and a post-releasing position when the pickup head is moved to the discharge position.

2. A dispensing machine as in claim 1 wherein said post-gripping means includes a pair of gripper members movable into engagement with the outer surface of at least certain of the posts.

3. A dispensing machine as in claim 2 wherein said post-gripping means includes means for applying an independent force to each of the posts which is independent of the gripping action applied to the other posts.

4. A dispensing machine as in claim 1 together With means for rotating the pickup head through a substantial angle after it is moved from the pickup position and before it enters the discharge position.

5. A dispensing machine as in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said pickup head between the pickup position and the discharge position includes means forming a cam track, a cam follower movable in the cam track, said means for moving the pickup head including means for moving the pickup head in an arcuate path so that said cam follower travelling in said cam track causes said pickup head to be shifted from the horizontal position and into the substantially vertical position when the pickup head is in the pickup position.

6. A dispensing machine as in claim 1 wherein said means for gripping the posts of said cartons or trays includes a plate, a pair of parallel shafts rotatably mounted upon the plate, a plurality of spaced gripper members mounted in oppositely facing pairs on said shafts, springs mounted on the shafts and engaging the gripper members for urging the gripper members towards a post-gripping position, spring means carried by the shafts and tending to cause rotation of the shafts in directions to cause the gripper members to move toward post-gripping positions, a latch carried by the plate, gear means mounted on the shafts and causing said shafts to rotate in unison, a catch member mounted on one of said shafts and adapted to engage said latch to retain said gripper members in post-releasing positions against the force of the spring means carried by the shafts, means for engaging the latch when the pickup head is moved to a pickup position to release the catch and to permit the spring means to urge the gripper means to post-engaging positions, said means for moving said post-gripping means to post-releasing positions including a lever arm mounted upon one of said shafts, and means engageable when said pickup means moves to a discharge position for operating said last-named lever arm for rotating said shafts to cause the gripper members carried by the shafts to be moved to post-releasing positions and also to cause said catch to be engaged by said latch.

7. A dispensing machine as in claim 1 together with means carried by the pickup head for centering the posts in the pickup head to facilitate grasping of the same by the post-grasping means.

8. A dispensing machine as in claim 4 wherein said means for rotating the pickup head includes means for rendering the same inoperative.

9. A dispensing machine as in claim 4 wherein said means for rotating the pickup head includes a shaft secured to the pickup head and permitting rotational movement of the same, a turning gear carried by the shaft, and a gear movable into engagement with the turning gear.

10. In a dispensing machine for cartons or trays of the type having posts inside the outer perimeter of the carton or tray, a magazine for receiving a plurality of nested cartons or trays, said magazine being inclined downwardly and forwardly, carton or tray stop means mounted on the forward end of the magazine for preventing cartons from sliding out of the magazine, a pickup head, means for moving said pickup head between the pickup position in which it can pickup cartons or trays from the magazine and a discharge position away from the magazine, said pickup head having a post-gripping means for gripping the posts of said cartons or trays, means operable with said means for moving said pickup head for moving said post-gripping means between a post-gripping position in which the posts are gripped when the pickup head is moved to the pickup position and a post-releasing position when the pickup head is moved to the discharge position, means operable with said pickup means for moving said stop means out of engagement with the cartons or trays when the pickup head is moved to the pickup position to permit a carton or tray to be removed from the magazine, a belt disposed in the magazine and underlying the cartons or trays, and means for advancing the belt a predetermined distance each time a carton or tray is removed from the magazine to advance the cartons or trays into engagement with the stop means.

11. A dispensing machine as in claim 10 together with separator means for preventing more than one carton or tray from being removed from the magazine at one time and means operable with the operation of said pickup head for operating said separator means.

12. A dispensing machine as in claim 11 together with means-for adjusting the position of said stop means and said separator means so that at the time that the pickup head is in the pickup position, the leading carton or tray is-in a pickup position.

13. A dispensing machine as in claim 12 wherein said means for moving said pickup head between the pickup position. and the discharge position includes a main shaft, a single revolution clutch for driving said main shaft, drive means for driving said single revolution clutch, means \for operating the said single revolution clutch, crank means mounted on said shaft for moving said pickup head, said means for operating said stop means and said separator means including cams mounted on said main shaft and wherein said means for positioning said stop means and said separator means includes an additional cam mounted on said main shaft.

14. A dispensing machine as in claim 11 wherein said stop means includes top and bottom stop plates and wherein said separator means includes top and bottom separator plates.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,341,072 9/1967 Schoot 2212l3 FOREIGN PATENTS 997,520 7/ 1965 Great Britain.

STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner 

